Equal, Unequal headers...wtd?

[90LxDroptop]

Hey, I was wondering what's the difference between Equal length, Unequal length, and Longtube headers. Is the sound deeper with each one. Different performance stats? help me out here. and which ones do u guys like/prefer?

[Chevyguy]

I have been wrestling with this myself and have some theroies to share now.

The Equal length are tuned to have equal length runners ( go figure!) This gives more even exhaust scavenging compared to the unequal length units. The downfall for this is the equal length are bulkier and block most of the spark plugs pretty good. The unequal length look like the stock ones but bigger pipes and smoother bends etc. With a modified motor it will breathe somewhat better with the equal length shorties.

From what I can figure for a mostly stock car, the equal length are not worth the extra bother, if you want better headers, go to long tubes (which are equal length too, just much longer) Then you will definately notice a difference. The long tubes tune the torque curve up to a higher peak since the gasses blend much further from the head than either of the shorties do.

I would stick with 1 5/8 primary diameter with any street 302 mustang header, the 1 3/4 is really too big unless you are running a stroker or 351 etc.

So 1 5/8 unequal shortes or 1 5/8 long tubes IMHO

BTW can anyone talk me into long tubes with a short H pipe and cats vs the 1 5/8 unequal shorties with the bbk X pipe and cats on a daily driven car????

[Dark_5.0]

I have the BBK equal length headers and they do not block off the plugs at all the plugs are easier to get to than they were with the stock headers.

Heres the deal if your motor is mostly stock and you dont plan on very many mods go with the unequal length headers cause they will perform better on a stock motor than the equal lengths.

If you are gonna have a modded stang go with the equal length headers. The equal length headers look cool and make your car have a nice sound.

[Dangerous Dave]

I've got flowtech equal lengths and I don't have any trouble with changing plugs-however I bought the car with them on already-I've had all 3 different kinds. Unless your racing in a class that does not allow longtube headers-why limit yourself? Longtubes will flow better than shorties equal or unequal, and that way you can make more mods before having to step up to big headers-like stated above-with a stroker or 351 or something. Longtubes are definitely the best way to go-If you're looking to buy new. If your buying used-then you'll come across equal length shorties for $50-$75 and an off-road h-pipe for $50-$75, then for $150 or less you have a free flowing exhaust that you'd be able to sell for the same price you bought it for if you decide to build a motor too big for that set-up. The one reason starting off with a stock Mustang-I'd end up with shorties 9 times out of 10.

[Chevyguy]

Hmm it sure looks like the two crossed over tubes would block direct acess to the spark plugs, but I've never seen the equal lengths actually on a car. It's pretty easy to pull the plugs with the stock headers now. On my Chevy I had to use a 5/8 box wrench on several plugs, now I'm running stock manifolds till the big block gets in there.

I slowly moving towards long tubes, I need new headers and H pipe anyways since they are thrashed. What about ground clearence, interference with other stuff, burning things etc??
I want to put em in, and forget them, not have to fuss with them etc. The stock flange type is real cool no ******* collector gaskets to roast.

[srv1]

hey droptop. i have a 90 stock Stang. read it below. the unequal shorties HINDERED my performance! my frieend has a STOCK 79 w/302 and has long drop headers equal length. his car pulls much harder than mine! it will give alot more torque compared to the shorties which seem to lose alot of low end torque and gain top end HP which by the way i dont want. from experience go with the long drop headers for more performance or stick with the stock. you will lose bottom end torque if you go with the shorties on a STOCK block. the only disadvantage is long drops are a pain in the butt! its much easier to do shorties any day than long drops, but that is the only cons on that. you got any auto, right? go with the long drops.

chevyguy, not busting balls, but it seems alot harder to change sparks on chevy's with headers. i bet you have fun time in your Laguna! i had a 75 Cutlass, which i miss... that had a 72 350 Rocket. oh well, maybe someday i will get my Olds back!

[302 LX Eric]

I agree with 5.0 HO

However, if you are really going to go after it, the long-tubes would be good.

Good luck,
E

[gtsr515]

The difference between the two is the equal length headers are designed so that the exhaust pulses miss each other as they go thru the collector, equal length will net you more horse no matter if your car is bone stock or heavily modified.

Long tubes will give you even more.

[Five0]

MM& FF did an article on this a few years back and dynoed a lightly modded mustang with both unequal and equal shortys and the equal shortys had 2 hp more that the unequal and said they were not woth the extra hassels but did say that the story might be different on a highly modded mustang. I would and did go with the long tube headers.
1 5/8" on a lightly modded mustang and 1 3/4" on a heavy modded, nitrous injected, or blown mustang.

[Coupe5oh]

Yea the equal shorts make a nice sound, so im leaning towards bbk, or flowtech equal lngth, but my motor being pretty stock, i might gain zero with 1-5/8 eqls.

But im in it for the sound, i know my stang sounds beatiful even with stock headers.

[Five0]

If your in it for the sound I think that the long tube headers sound the best of all of them. "IMO"

[Unit 5302]

Do I dare make another marathon post on this subject? Sure.

Equal Length Shorties: These headers rob low end torque, in a big way. They are not normally available in a size smaller than 1 5/8", which is too big for a stock engine anyway. Bigger is not always better. These headers offer a tuning effect which actually pulls the exhaust out of the head. The cost of that is lower cylinder pressure and less torque at lower rpms. Part of the reason this happens is the size. The factory exhaust ports on the E7's are very small. Since the header primary tube is larger, it has a tendancy to suck exhuast from the expansion. The other part is the way the exhaust pulses increase the exhaust velocity, or scavenging. The minor gain in horsepower over the unequal shorties are not worth it in my opinion. They are more difficult to install, they cost more, and as a general rule, they are more difficult to work around.

UnEqual Length Shorties: These headers allow for less restrictive exhuast flow, but do not tune the exhaust like the equal shorties. They are good for some horsepower over the restrictive factory headers, and if the 1 1/2" primary tube headers are purchased, they do not rob low end torque. 1 5/8" will rob torque because of the exhaust expansion noted above, but less drastically due to the lack of the additional scavenging effect. The 1 1/2" unequals could be good for mildly modded 5.0 without any cam swaps or anything drastic.

Long Tubes: Long tubes are the big daddies literally, and figuratively. They make more hp than the equal shorties due to a better scavenging effect, but they do not rob torque. The full sized and developed collector, along with the longer tubes acts much more like a tuned 2 cycle exhaust. It blocks the flow of the cylinders not on exhaust stroke, and tunes it for the ones that are. That creates a full tuned effect which is generally worth noteable gains in performance for even a stock car, along with excellent drivablilty.

The H pipe is the real bottleneck in the stock Mustang exhaust system, and it should be addressed first, or at the same time.

[Coupe5oh]

well said unit, i know the longtubes are the better performing and sounding, i was just sayin between the shorties, i like the equal lnght sound, do they make 1-1/2 equal lenghts shorts?


i got to get rid of thes factory headers, they are ugly, power robbing, they just suck!

[BowTie Eater 5 Liter]

Coupe5oh, ill sell ya some bbk 1-5/8 Equal Shortys For $50 With New Gaskets!!!

ive had them for 4 months now, and havnt put them on because of the time to put them on.

what is the easiest way to put the equal shortys on, and how long will it take?

[srv1]

i totally agree with unit. trust me i lost a shitload of low end torque on my car. put it this way, i want to put my "restrictive" stock headers back on! get the long drops or nothing at all. trust me on this one! i am going to keep mine, cause down the road i am going to get heads. i kept my originals cause i had a funny feeling about installing them, but i did

[gtsr515]

Guy's, I don't mean any flames here, but all this talk of loosing low end torque with the equal length headers v.s. unequal length from a racing standpoint to me is irrelevant simply because we don't race at 2,200 RPM's, after you get it out of the hole, at least for me, everything is happening at 4000 RPM's and up, and that's where the headers work, so who cares about low end torque, for the street, yes, I'll take all the torque I can get, but I have had every style of header on my 93, including step headers and I never felt a seat of the pants difference with any of them, but my E.T's went down with equal length shorties and long tubes. And everyone makes a big deal on how hard they are to put on, it's not THAT more hard than unequals, just take your time. Like I said NO FLAMES HERE, just my opinion.

[Coupe5oh]

Originally posted by BowTie Eater 5 Liter
Coupe5oh, ill sell ya some bbk 1-5/8 Equal Shortys For $50 With New Gaskets!!!

ive had them for 4 months now, and havnt put them on because of the time to put them on.

what is the easiest way to put the equal shortys on, and how long will it take?

My friend has some bbk equals chrome, and some dumps, and his car sounds killer! but no thanx, although that is a good deal, but im supposed to buy a set of jba shortie headers for 125 used, thats good, cuz they are like 400 new.